Bring Her Back
by Trillian Astra
Summary: The Doctor, Rose and Jack are still connected, though they are all apart from each other. And when the Doctor decides he needs to get Rose back, the only person who can help is Jack.Disclaimer: Not mine, wish it were. FINAL CHAPTER NOW UP.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: This is set after Runaway Bride, but before Martha shows up (no offence to Martha, but she just doesn't fit in this story). I basically wrote this because I just watched Doomsday again and I wanted to write a TenRoseJack reunion story. So… enjoy the story, and please review at the end.

Disclaimer:  Would it surprise anyone to know that I don't own this stuff? No, I didn't think so. Anyway, I don't, and this is written purely for entertainment, I am not profiting at all from this.

Summary: The Doctor, Jack and Rose are all separated, but still connected. The Doctor is desperate to get Rose back, and finds that the only person who can help is Jack, still working for Torchwood in Cardiff

**Bring Her Back**

**(post Runaway Bride, pre-Martha)**

_Inside the TARDIS_

He's left Donna at home, with her family. He just went, without saying goodbye, got back inside the TARDIS, and got as far from Earth as he could. He sits very still. All he can think about, all he's been able to think about for weeks, is Rose Tyler.

He wonders, every second of every minute of every day, where she is and what she's doing. She told him, that last time he saw her, that she was working with parallel-Torchwood. Every day, he misses her.

Every day, he loves her.

Every day, he tries so hard to think of a way, any way, that might bring her back to him.

Every day, he concedes defeat.

_Living Quarters of Jack Harkness, Torchwood Three, Cardiff._

Late at night, after even Ianto has gone home, Jack lies awake in bed. He hasn't been able to sleep lately, and keeps himself going on Ianto's industrial-strength coffee.

The reason that Jack can't sleep, is that his thoughts always drift back to Rose Tyler. For him, it has been so long since the last time he saw her. The time when he kissed her and went to distract daleks for just long enough to let the Doctor do his work. He remembers waking up, gasping back to life just as the TARDIS disappeared.

He still can't sleep, so he gets out of bed, gets dressed and goes to the Hub. He quickly logs into a computer, and soon finds Rose's record. The record has a picture attached – a couple, actually, one of her and her mum, one of her and Mickey together. One of her and the Doctor. It took a long time for Jack to find that photograph, but he did. He'd needed Tosh's help, and she still wanted to know why – not that Jack was about to tell her, of course.

The important part of Rose's record, as far as Jack was concerned, was a little box labelled "Date of Death". According to the Torchwood files, Rose Tyler had died during the battle of Canary Wharf, as had her mother.

Jack knew that it couldn't be true. He knew, because he knew that the Doctor was still alive, and he knew that the Doctor would never let anything happen to Rose. He knew that the Doctor was still alive because if such an important figure had died during the battle, he would have been told – he was, after all, the leader of Torchwood now that Yvonne Hartman was dead.

Jack spends the rest of the night sitting in front of a computer, staring at the pictures of Rose on screen. As he does so, silent tears stream down his cheeks. He only barely makes it back to his quarters before Ianto arrives in the morning to open up.

Ianto is dear to him, but he doesn't want any of the team to know about what he's been doing all night – _especially_ not Ianto.

He splashes cold water on his face, and stares at his own reflection in the mirror for several long minutes before going out into the Hub again. Before he goes, he takes something out of his pocket – a thin, old, worn friendship bracelet that Rose once gave him, and that he has kept with him ever since. He presses the bracelet to his lips, kissing it, and then returns it to his pocket.

_Home of Pete, Jackie and Rose Tyler, Parallel Earth._

Rose had been dreaming of the Doctor again – of the adventures they had had together, her and Jack and the Doctor, laughing and happy together. Just before she woke up, she had a very strange feeling… as if someone was reaching for her. As if _two_ someones were reaching for her. The moment she woke up, she reached over to her bedside table – and the first thing her hand fell on the silver chain that Jack had bought her once, still with its rose charm.

She wondered briefly about her odd dream, but soon she was caught up in the events of her day and it slipped from her mind.


	2. Chapter 2

The TARDIS was worried. The Doctor had not done anything for several days, just sitting around. She thought he might be depressed, as whenever she attempted to look into his thoughts they were always about Rose, and about what Donna had told him before he left her.

The TARDIS missed Rose. The bubbly, cheerful London girl had brightened up the ship, and while Rose had travelled with the Doctor his thoughts had radiated happiness. The ship knew that it was bad for him to stay like this, and resolved to find a way to help him. Of course, she had all the details of what had happened when Rose was trapped in the parallel universe, so she started searching her databanks, looking for even the tiniest piece of information that could help. It took time, but eventually the ship found something. She considered telling the Doctor before doing anything else, but decided against it – he might attempt to stop her. Instead, she reasoned, she would tell him when they were on their way there.

She checked his location, finding him asleep in his bedroom, and then quietly set the coordinates.

_The Doctor's Bedroom, inside the TARDIS_

The Doctor felt the TARDIS jolt into movement, and sat bolt upright in bed. He wondered for a second what might be happening, then realised that for some reason, the TARDIS was moving out of the Vortex. He sprang out of bed, pulled on some clothes, and ran out of the room. Unfortunately, the TARDIS didn't want him interfering and changing the coordinates, so she rearranged her corridors to keep him running in circles.

When the Doctor figured out what his ship was doing, he stopped. He spoke out loud, though he didn't need to. "Come on, old girl, why are you doing this?"

His reply was a soft, feminine laugh in his head. "Oh, Doctor… I'm just doing you a favour, that's all."

"A favour?"

"Yes. I'm going to bring her back to you."

"You're doing _what_?"

"You heard."

"So… why won't you let me get to the control room?"

"So you can't interfere."

"Ship, where are we going?"

"Earth."

"You're not going to tell me anything else, are you?"  
She laughed again. "No."

"So what am I supposed to do until we get there?"

"Oh, use your imagination. Now stop bugging me and find something to do."

The Doctor sighed dramatically, and headed back to his room. He lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking about what his ship could possibly be up to. Then it came to him. The ship had said that the "favour" was bringing _her_ back. There was only one _her_ that the ship could possibly be referring to.

The only thing he couldn't work out was how the TARDIS was going to get Rose back.

_Torchwood Three Hub_

Jack still couldn't sleep. Everyone else had gone home, so he had made himself some extra-strong coffee and sat up in his office. Tonight he was poring over the plans for the Rift manipulator, because he had a hunch that it might help him do what he wanted to do. He'd checked the records from the battle of Canary Wharf over and over again, even getting hold of the security footage, until he was almost sure of what had happened. Which meant he could start trying to work out how to fix it.

As he worked, he kept glancing at the hand in the jar, that he had moved from the main Hub into his office. The hand had turned to face him, pressing its fingers against the glass as if it was trying to reach him.

He had some files, in his private storage area, about what the TARDIS could do, how it operated. The files were incomplete, but he had enough to form an idea. The problem was that he couldn't test anything. He had a theory, but he couldn't test it to find out if he was right or not. In the end, he just pushed the plans and notes to one side, and stared at the hand for the rest of the night.

_Inside the TARDIS_

The Doctor had been pacing the corridors of his ship for two hours when he felt the TARDIS slow down.

"Ship?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"What's happening?"

"Get to the control room. We're almost here."

"Finally." He sprinted down to the control room, and immediately checked the destination screen. "Okay… Earth, 2007… Cardiff? Ship, what are you up to?"

The TARDIS just laughed, a soft giggle that he would almost call girlish if the ship wasn't older than he was. "We're going to see Jack, Doctor."

"Jack? Jack Harkness?"

"Yes… is there another Jack we know?"

"Well, not as such… but Jack Harkness is dead, ship. He died, on the Game Station, I remember it."

"Oh, Doctor… you should know by now, when a human travels with me, even after we are parted a connection remains. I know Jack is alive, I can feel him."

"You can? Can you feel Rose?"

"It's different with Rose… my sense of her is much more vague, because she isn't in this universe. But Jack is, and my sense of him is very strong. He's alive, Doctor."

"Oh… so, somehow, Jack can help bring Rose back."  
"I believe so, yes."

"Well, old girl, you've never let me down in the past. I suppose I'll have to trust you this time as well."

"As well you should."


	3. Chapter 3

_Home of the Tyler family, Parallel Earth_

Rose drifted off to sleep, and had a very strange dream. She dreamt that she was in the centre of an enormous labyrinth, and that, somehow, she could see Jack at one side on the maze and the Doctor at the other, both searching for a way to reach her. She frowned in her dream, wondering what was happening, and then heard a soft, unmistakably feminine laugh behind her. Whipping around, she saw the figure of a woman in a long white robe, with snow-white hair flowing down her back. The strange woman spoke."Hello, Rose."  
"How do you know my name? Who are you? Where am I?"

"This place is just a metaphor, don't worry. This was the easiest way of contacting you."

"Okay, but who are you?"

"I was afraid you might not recognise me. I am the spirit of the TARDIS, Rose. I know you so well."  
"You're the TARDIS?"

"Yes."

"Why are you here? What is this a metaphor for?"  
"I need to talk to you, that is all. The Doctor is miserable without you, Rose. I needed to help him, so I found a way that could allow you to move back into your universe from this one."  
"Seriously? How?"

"It's complicated, and I really can't stay long enough to explain it all, but what I'm trying to do… I need Jack's help. Right now, in the real world the Doctor and I are heading for Cardiff right now."

"Jack? But…"

"He's not dead. That was the first thing the Doctor said as well. This is going to be difficult to do, Rose, but there is a chance it will work. You have to be ready, your family too if they want to return with you. You do want to return, don't you?"

"Of course I do! I just… this is all a bit weird."  
"I understand. It will happen soon, in the next few days. I'm afraid I can't be more accurate than that."

"I'll be ready."

"Good. I must go now, there isn't much time. Is there any message you want me to give to the Doctor?"  
"Um… tell him… I love him. Just tell him that."  
"Of course. Goodbye for now, Rose." 

Rose woke up back in her bed, with the memory of her dream-that-wasn't-a-dream still fresh in her mind. She got up, pulled on a dressing-gown and went downstairs.

Jackie was in the kitchen, cooking breakfast for her family, with Rose's baby brother Jamie sitting in his highchair near the table.

"Mum?"

"Rose, what's wrong?"

"I just had a really weird dream. I can't tell you how, but the Doctor's trying to find a way of letting me go home."  
"Rose, what are you talking about? It was just a dream, love."  
"No, it wasn't! Sometime in the next few days, something will happen and I'll be able to go back. I have to go back, Mum, I have to." 

_Torchwood Three Hub, Cardiff – Jack's Bedroom_

After three nights of staying up, Jack was finally so tired that he could only just manage to drag himself to his bed. He lay there, still fully dressed, and slept. Jack didn't dream much, as a rule, but tonight was different. Tonight, he fell straight into a dream. Unlike the dream Rose had experienced, he found himself in what seemed to be the inside of the TARDIS. _Great_, he thought. _My subconscious is taunting me now_. He was startled to see, instead of the Doctor fiddling with buttons and switches, a woman in a long white robe standing in front of him.

He automatically reached to his side for his gun, but found that it wasn't there. "Huh?"

"Hello Jack."

"Who are you?"

"You know who I am, Jack Harkness. You know me better than any human has ever known me."

"You're… no, you can't be."

"Oh, I am. This body that you see does not really exist. I merely chose a form I thought you would find nonthreatening and peaceful. I am the TARDIS."

"And would you care to explain what I'm doing here?"  
"You're on the right track."

"Huh?"

"That project you're working on, that you haven't told Gwen or Owen or Toshiko or Ianto about. It's going to work."  
"How do you know?"  
"Because I'm trying to do the same thing as you. It can only work with my technology, my power, coupled to your invention. Your rift manipulator. The Doctor and I are on our way now. We should be with you soon. Be ready for us."

"Er… sure. Of course. Um… what are you trying to do? I'm trying to fix what happened at Canary Wharf."

"So am I." The woman laughed softly. "During that battle, Rose and her family became trapped on a parallel earth, the one the Cybermen came from. I'm simply trying to give back to the Doctor what he lost."

"You want to bring Rose back."  
"Exactly. I knew you'd understand."

"Fine. I'll be ready."  
"Excellent. It will be soon, Jack, and it might take time to do. But we'll do it. Together."

At that moment, the woman vanished, and Jack woke up lying on his bed. He remembered everything, and he knew exactly what to do.

_Inside the TARDIS, Cardiff, Earth._

The TARDIS finally shuddered to a stop, and the Doctor quickly checked a display screen, making sure he knew where he was. He spoke out loud to the ship."Well, we're here. What now?"

"Patience, Doctor. While you've been worrying, I've been very busy. I visited Jack, to let him know we were coming, and I visited Rose."

"You saw Rose? How?"

"In her dreams. She had a message for you."

"What?"  
"She asked me to tell you that she loves you."

"Oh, god…."

"Doctor, there will be time for that later. Jack is on his way, right now."  
"What?"

Suddenly, someone knocked loudly on the door of the TARDIS, which clicked open, allowing Jack to enter. For a moment he just stood there, reminding himself of the feel of the ship. Then he looked straight at the Doctor.

"Who are you?"  
"I'm the Doctor."

"Your face…"

"I would have died on the Game Station, if I'd been human. As a Time Lord, I regenerated. It gave me a new face."

The TARDIS spoke directly to Jack. "It is him, don't worry."

"Okay… so, what do we do?"

"We need to get down into the hub, Jack. Doctor, it's directly below us. Hold on to something."

The two men each grabbed for a handhold, as the TARDIS dematerialised, and reappeared sitting in the floor of the Hub below. They left, and the Doctor looked around at the currently empty room. "What is this place?"

"Uh… this is Torchwood Three. I set it up here, to monitor the Rift."

"Of course! That's how she was doing it."

"Uh… Doctor?"

"Did the TARDIS tell you what she was planning?"

"Yes. She said it needed the Rift Manipulator to work."

"What's the Rift Manipulator?"

"I built it. It keeps the Rift controlled, mostly. And… it can also be used to open the Rift. Do you think that's what the TARDIS meant?"  
"I think it's likely. And later, you are going to have to tell me how you got here."

"Yeah, sure. I've got a few questions about that, but I suppose they can wait for now."

"Now, how does this machine of yours work?"

Jack showed the Doctor how the Rift Manipulator worked, pointing out the important parts. Then they went over the notes Jack had made. Several hours later, they had figured out what to do, with a little help from the TARDIS.

When they were finally sure, they connected the TARDIS' computer to the Manipulator, and used the TARDIS to control what they were doing.


	4. Chapter 4

_Home of the Tyler family, Parallel Earth_

Rose ate a hurried breakfast, then gathered her parents and Mickey in the kitchen. She told them everything, told them about her dream and what was going to happen.

"I have to go back, Mum. If this plan of the Doctor's works, and he finds a way for me to get back, I have to go. And I really want you all to come with me, because I don't know if this plan would work more than once. If you don't come with me, we might be separated for ever."

"Rose, you were dreaming, sweetheart. We know how much you miss the Doctor, but there's no way he can get back. You have to let go."

"Your mum's right, Rosie. There's nothing he can do."

"No. He's coming, and I'm going back with him. I know he can do it. We have to trust him and Jack, they need us to believe in them."

Jackie shook her head sadly. "Rose, what do you want us to do?"

"Pack. Pack your things and be ready to go. The TARDIS told me that it would be a few days at most. So give me a week. If the Doctor hasn't done it after a week, I stay. Okay? Mum?"

"Give us a minute, love. We need to talk about this."

Rose went outside, sitting on the back step. Mickey came out to sit with her.

"Shouldn't you be inside talking?"

"Nah. I believe you."

Without looking at Mickey, so he wouldn't see her crying, Rose said "You're staying, aren't you?"

He replied after a long minute of silence. "Yeah. My nan's here, and there's Jake and the others, there's the new Torchwood to run. They need me here."

"I know. I hoped, though… that you'd come back."

"You _don't_ need me. I'll miss you, but you've got your mum, and your dad and your brother. And soon you'll be off with the Doctor again, and you'll be happy again."

She smiled through her tears. "Thanks for understanding. I'll miss you too."

He put an arm around her, letting her cry into his t-shirt. "Hey, you already said goodbye once. You'll be fine."

Soon, Jackie came out of the kitchen. "Rose?"

"Yes, Mum?"

"I've talked it over with your dad. We'll wait a week for the Doctor to show up."

"And when he does?"

"_If_ he does, we'll come back. All our family is back there, our friends, the flat. But if he doesn't, you will need to let go, Rose." Jackie went back inside, followed by Mickey.

"He will." Rose whispered. "I love him."

_Torchwood Three Hub, Cardiff, Earth_

Jack and the Doctor were sitting on the floor of the Hub, surrounded by cables, wires and lots of plans and blueprints, interspersed with half-full coffee cups. The door to the TARDIS was propped open with a chair, and several thick cables emerged from it, and were connected to various bits of equipment in the Hub.

The Doctor scrutinised the blueprints in his hands once again. "So you built this? By yourself, with 21st century materials?"

"Yeah. It's a variation on the Vortex manipulators that the Agency use. Finding materials was the toughest part, but I was able to scavenge a lot."

"The TARDIS' readings are off the scale, the Rift has been active recently, hasn't it?"

"It has. It's kind of a long story, and I was dead for part of it. But it's all under control now."

"You were dead?"

"Like I said, long story. I think… we're about ready here."

"It looks like it. Are you sure your team won't disturb us?"  
"As soon as I knew you were coming, I called them all and gave them a couple of days off. Shall we do this?"

The Doctor started to connect the last, and most important cables, linking the TARDIS to the computer that controlled the Rift manipulator. Meanwhile, Jack was entering coordinates and equations on the computer, then entered the same programming on the TARDIS' onboard computer.

They had, after many hours, devised a program that would open a portal between their universe and the one Rose and her family were in. They knew the coordinates for the Hub, and much of their time had been spent triangulating Rose's location and ensuring that the two computers involved would be able to work together.

They stood together inside the TARDIS, about to start the process of opening the portal. They looked at each other, then the Doctor reached out and pressed a few keys on the computer keyboard, and the ship's engines started to hum. Jack went outside, to watch the spot where the portal would appear.

Slowly, a shimmering silver-grey patch appeared, hovering about three inches off the floor. It began to shape itself into a rough door-shape, and Jack quickly used the manipulator to stabilise the portal.

_Home of the Tyler family, Parallel Earth_

Rose was in her bedroom, carefully packing the few possessions she had. After the bridge through the Void had closed, trapping her on the parallel Earth, she had never given up hope that the Doctor would find a way for her to get back, so she had not bothered to collect lots of possessions. She was folding clothes and packing them away in a suitcase when she felt something warm press against her leg. Reaching into the pocket of her jeans, she pulled out the TARDIS key that the Doctor had given her. She had started carrying it around with her all the time, since her dream.

The key was glowing.

She knew what that meant. The key only glowed like that when the TARDIS was nearby, and on its way. That meant that the Doctor had found a way through, and was coming to get her.

She ran out of her room and into her parents' bedroom. "Mum?"

"What is it, Rose?"

"Look at this." She held the glowing key up for Jackie to see.

"What's that?"  
"It's my key to the TARDIS. The Doctor gave it to me, ages ago. When it glows like that, it means the TARDIS is nearby. He's coming, Mum, he's actually coming!"

"Oh my god… in that case, hurry and finish packing. I'll call your dad, make sure he gets back soon."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:**** Just a quickie update to keep you going until I get a proper chapter done. I promise, you'll like this. **

**Please read and review.**

_Torchwood Three Hub, Cardiff, Earth_

It only took a few minutes for Jack to get the portal stabilised. It had resolved into what was effectively a door, with a large window surrounded by a swirling border of greyish mist.

"Doctor? I think it worked."

The Doctor emerged from the TARDIS, seeing the window in front of him. On the other side, they could see a garden of some kind, and a large house nearby. "Doctor? That's her house, isn't it? Doctor?" Jack tried to get the Doctor's attention – he was just staring at the portal, as if in disbelief.

"Uh, yes, yes that's her house. That's where Rose lives."

"Then we did it! We actually made a portal, right in her back garden. Come on, let's go and get her…"

"How long will the portal be stable?"

"We can keep it open for twelve hours."

"Good. That ought to be enough. Let's go."

_Home of the Tyler family, Parallel Earth_

Rose and Jackie were hurriedly packing the last of the family's belongings. Pete had gone out, to make sure they had money and set their affairs in order, and was on his way back, and little Jamie was in his playpen.

Rose was in the kitchen, checking that they hadn't left anything important behind – they weren't bothering to pack the dishes and things, they wouldn't need them, when she happened to glance out into the garden. She saw a roughly rectangular shape appear just over the lawn, and watched it change to a sort of doorway. She ran outside, and looked through the "door" to see the TARDIS just visible on the other side. She was about to step closer, when she saw someone walk through.

Someone with messy, brown hair, wearing a long coat.

"Doctor!"

He looked at her, and smiled, and she ran towards him. "I knew you'd come."

"I missed you, Rose Tyler."

"I missed you too." She looked around. "Where's Jack? Wasn't he helping you?"

"He's on the other side, keeping the portal stable. You'll see him soon… you are coming back, aren't you?"

"Of course I am! And Mum and Dad are coming too, Mum's packing now. Come on, she's inside. I don't think she'll slap you this time."

"Rose, wait."

"What? Is something wrong?"

"No, I just need to tell you something. The last time I saw you, I never got a chance to finish, and I promised myself I would say it now."

"So…"

"Rose Tyler, I love you. I love you more than anything else in the universe. And I want you to stay with me, forever."

"Doctor, are you asking me to marry you?"

"I hadn't thought about it that way, but yeah. I suppose I am."

Laughing, Rose said "Well, do it properly then."

The Doctor got down on one knee, taking her hand in his. "I don't have a ring or anything, but… Rose Tyler, will you marry me?"

"Yes! Yes, I will." He got up, caught her in his arms and kissed her deeply. When the kiss eventually broke and Rose caught her breath, she said "Come on. Let's go and find Mum."


	6. Chapter 6

As soon as the Doctor stepped through the portal, he saw Rose standing on the lawn. She was just wearing jeans and an old t-shirt, but she looked more beautiful than he had ever seen her. He wanted to just stand and watch her for a while, but she ran over to him and hugged him.

He had never had the chance to tell her how he felt that day in Bad Wolf Bay, but he definitely told her today. He had promised himself that he would, and soon he found himself down on one knee in front of her, holding her hand in both of his, and asking her to marry him. Her squeal of delight shook him out of the daze he had been inhabiting, and after she breathlessly said yes, he caught her in his arms and kissed her. She broke the kiss, and after catching her breath she dragged him inside to find her mum.

When Jackie saw the Doctor and Rose walk in, hand in hand, she stood and stared for a moment. This time, the Doctor was the one hugging her. "Well you took your time, as usual. But Rose is happy you're here, so you're forgiven."

"Mum… we have something to tell you."

"What?"

"Um… the Doctor just asked me to marry him, and I said yes."

"You WHAT?"

"We're getting married."

"Oh my god… we're going to have to sort out a wedding for you two… how exactly do Time Lords get married, is there a ceremony? When we get back home, I'm going to have to tell everyone, and I don't know what I'm going to tell them about you Doctor, and you need a dress, and a cake and a party…"

"Mum, please shut up. Maybe you could go and make us some tea, yeah?"

"Uh, okay, yes, tea. And I'll give your dad a call, see how long he'll be."

"Yeah, you do that." Rose had to physically push her mum out of the room, and when Jackie was on her way to the kitchen she pushed the door closed. "Don't worry about her. She just gets excited about weddings. Really excited."

"I can see that."

"You seem just a bit too calm…"

"Damn, I thought I was hiding it well. You couldn't talk her out of that party she was talking about, could you? I'd rather just do something with us, something quiet."

"I'll talk to her. What exactly is a Time Lord wedding, anyway?"

"Well, the Time Lords had a rather different idea of marriage, it's not much of a ceremony. Just an exchange of vows and a token of some kind, usually a ring or a pendant, something like that."

"That sounds nice."

"Glad you think so."

"But it doesn't really matter. Just as long as we're together, that's enough."

-----------

Pete arrived back at the house about half an hour later, and Rose told him about her engagement. They were in the living room, when Jackie came in carrying the baby. The Doctor blinked several times. "Uh… Rose? I think you forgot to tell me about the baby."

"Oops. This is my little brother. Jamie."

"Oh. Your brother. He's, uh, adorable, Jackie."

"So, how long do we have to get back?"

"The portal will be stable and open for about eleven hours, but it would be better to go back sooner."

"Okay. We've packed everything important, we're pretty much ready. Rose?"

"I want to say goodbye to Mickey first. He's staying here."

"Is he near here?"

"Yeah. He's at work. It won't take long."

"Fine. We'll go and see Mickey first."

The Doctor soon found himself sitting on the back seat of Pete's car, with Rose and the baby next to him, and Pete and Jackie in the front seats, as they drove to the new Torchwood building where Mickey worked. Rose went in first, and they waited in the very fancy entrance hall as the receptionist called him.

The Doctor was the first person to see Mickey get out of the lift.

"Mickey."

"Doctor. Rose said you'd come. How did you do it?"

"It was complicated. Very complicated. Jack helped, though."

"You're here now, I suppose it doesn't matter how. What are you all doing here?"

"We're going back. As soon as we get back to the house, we're going back to the other universe. Rose wanted to say goodbye. She said you were staying here."

"Yeah. I'm needed here, my nan's here. I can't leave now. It was good to see you again though, Doctor."

"You too."

Rose stepped forward, not quite sure what to say. "So… this is it."

"Yeah. I'll miss you, but you'll be okay, won't you?"

"Yeah, I will."

"Doctor, you'd better look after her for me, okay?"

The Doctor was about to reply, but Rose got there first. "He will. We're getting married."

"Seriously? Uh, congratulations..."

"Thanks. Um, goodbye, I guess."

"Goodbye, Rose. Have a great life, yeah?"

"You too." She hugged him, and he felt her tears soaking into his shirt. "Hey, don't cry. Everything will be fine. And when you get back, say hello to Jack for me, okay?"

"I will."

"And no more crying, right?"

"No more crying."

"There you go then."

After one last hug, Jackie and Pete said their goodbyes as well, and then Mickey went back to work and everyone else got back into the car. They drove home in silence, and when they arrived they quickly gathered their bags and piled them on the grass in front of the portal. While the Tylers said goodbye to the house, the Doctor stepped back through into the Hub, to see Jack sitting in a chair and drinking coffee.

"Where, exactly, have you been?"

"Um… I got a bit distracted."

"Clearly. Are they coming back?"

"Yeah. Rose wanted to say goodbye to Mickey, and some… other… things happened."

"Like what?"

"It's not important."

"Doctor. What?"

"I, um, askedrosetomarryme…" The Doctor mumbled.

"What was that? I didn't quite catch it."

"Fine. I asked Rose to marry me. And she said yes."

Jack just stared at the Doctor. "Seriously?"

"Yes."

"Well, I wasn't expecting that. Congratulations, I suppose."

"Uh, thanks… now, you wouldn't mind helping me get their things through here, would you?"

"See, I knew you wanted something." Jack sighed, but followed the Doctor back through, and soon there was a quite large pile of suitcases and boxes in the middle of the Hub. The Doctor and Jack crossed the lawn and went into the house.

When Rose saw Jack walk into the room, she screamed, ran towards him and hugged him. He was a bit taken aback, but hugged her back. "Uh, good to see you too, Rose."

"I missed you, it's been so long. And, well, you know…"

"I know. I missed you too. Apparently you're going to be a married woman soon."

"Yeah."

"Am I invited to the wedding?"

"Of course you are."

"Great. Did I ever tell you I love weddings?"

"Noooo…"

The Doctor interrupted. "…but _if_ we have a big party, _you_ are staying well away from the bridesmaids. And, well, everyone else."

"Doctor…"

-----------

Eventually, Jack, the Doctor and the Tylers made it back through the portal, and when they had made sure that they had everything, Jack started the process of closing the portal.

At that point, the alarm that meant the door into the Hub was opening went off, and Ianto and Gwen walked in, coming to an abrupt halt when they saw the TARDIS, a big pile of luggage and five people – including a baby – that they didn't recognise, two of whom seemed very familiar with Jack.

"Jack?"

He turned around. "Gwen? Ianto? What are you doing here, I gave you time off."

"Something you don't normally do. We were worried about you. And… who, exactly, are all these people?" Gwen indicated the Doctor and the Tylers, who looked just as confused and she and Ianto did.

"Uh, it's a long story, but this is the Doctor, and Pete, Jackie and Rose Tyler, and the baby is Jamie Tyler. Everyone, this is Gwen and Ianto. They work for me."

"What are they doing here, Jack?"

"Look, Gwen, I really don't need your help here. I gave you all time off so that I could use the Hub undisturbed, and now I've done what I needed to do, so everything is fine. So please, both of you, go home. And if Owen and Toshiko are outside waiting for you, which they probably are, tell them to go home as well. I'll see you at work as normal on Monday."

"Sheesh, fine, we'll go." Gwen and Ianto left quickly, and when the door was shut again Jack sighed, and muttered something about not being able to get the staff. When he looked back at the others, he saw Rose trying desperately not to laugh.

"And what, exactly, is so funny?"

"Sorry. It's just… I'm not used to you bossing people around, that's all. Um… you said you'd see them on Monday… does that mean you're staying here, you're not coming travelling with us…"

"I don't know. I assume you too are going to be staying here for a while anyway, for the wedding, and I don't think you want me tagging along on your honeymoon, but after that, if you want me to come with you then I'd love to."

"Oh. Yeah… okay."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:**** Okay, so this is The Wedding Chapter. I had to improvise a bit for the actual ceremony, so basically a Gallifreyan wedding is a simplified version of an Earth wedding, minus most of the tradition.**

**Oh, and Jack gets to officiate at the ceremony.**

**Disclaimer: No, not mine. If Doctor Who was mine, The Doctor, Rose and Jack would still be travelling the universe together, as they should be. Unfortunately, the best I'm likely to get is two out of the three (I've seen the trailer for "Utopia" - squee Jack's coming back!). Oh well. **

**Oh, by the way, if you haven't seen "Blink" yet, go on and watch it, it's an INCREDIBLE episode. Okay, so not much Doctor and even less Martha, but still absolutely fantastic. And remember, **_**don't**_** look away, **_**don't**_** turn your back, and whatever you do, **_**don't blink**_**. (hee hee)**

**Please read and review.**

Once the portal had closed, Jack was able to hack into the government records of who had died in the battle at Canary Wharf, and removed Jackie's and Rose's names from the list of the dead. At the same time, he removed the record of Pete Tyler's death, created a new marriage certificate for Pete and Jackie, and a birth certificate for Jamie.

And he managed all that in forty minutes.

When he emerged from his office, he handed Rose a folder full of documents, and – to her surprise - apologised for taking so long.

"What are you talking about? It took less than an hour, and these look amazing."

"40 minutes is slow! Toshiko could have done it in twenty, and Ianto could have done those in his sleep."

"Jack, it's fine. These are great, thanks. And forty minutes is still fast."

"You're just saying that to placate me."

"Jack. Don't pout, it doesn't suit you."

-----------

With their new documents ready, the Tylers found rooms in a hotel for a few nights while they decided what to do. They basically had two options – move back to Jackie's old flat on the Powell Estate, or use some of the money Pete had brought back from the other universe to get a bigger house in Cardiff. The advantage of Cardiff was that it would mean they were near Torchwood, so if anything ever happened while the Doctor was away Rose's family would be protected. Also, with the exception of Jack and his team, no-one knew them in Cardiff, so no-one knew that Pete, Jackie and Rose were supposed to be dead.

On the other hand, Jackie and Rose had friends in London, who they hadn't seen for a long time. Jackie argued for returning to London initially, but then she had a long talk with Pete, and they decided to settle in Cardiff. The next two weeks were pretty hectic, as Pete and Jackie were out looking for a house most days, and in every free moment Jackie was worrying about Rose's wedding. The Doctor became increasingly panicked, and even more afraid of Jackie than he had been before, and Jack viewed the whole situation with great amusement, except for when he got stuck with babysitting.

Eventually, they found a house, got it furnished and moved all of their things in. Pete found a job with a big advertising company, and Jackie focused all of her energy on Rose and the Doctor. Rose got dragged around bridal shops all day, and there were several arguments about the number of guests, the decorations, the food, whether or not there would be a party at all…

After one too many fights, Rose went to her room in the new house, almost crying with frustration. The Doctor followed her up, knocking softly on the door.

"Who's there?"

"It's me. Can I come in?"

"Yeah."

He came in and sat down on her bed, facing her. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah. It's just Mum trying to take over everything, that's all."

"Do you _want_ a big fancy wedding?"

"I used to. But since I've known you, I've realised that it doesn't matter. I just want it to be you and me, together."

"There is something else we could do."

"What?"

"We could elope. Just take the TARDIS to the most beautiful planet we can find, and make our vows there."

"Don't we need a witness or a best man or someone?"

"We'll take Jack with us, he won't mind. What do you think?"

"I think Mum's going to go mad when we get back and tell her."

"Yeah… wait, did you just agree to elope with me?"

"I did. When do you want to go? And where, actually?"

"I'll go and ask Jack to be best man tomorrow morning… and I've got some ideas about which planet, too, and we can set off after I talk to Jack. But it's a surprise, so you're going to have to wait."

"Okay. Actually, I'll talk to Dad tomorrow, see if he can keep Mum busy so she can't try to stop us."

"Good idea."

"Doctor… what am I going to call myself after the wedding? I can't exactly be "Mrs The Doctor", can I?"

"You don't have to change your name, you know."

"What if I want to?"

The Doctor sighed. "Sigma. _If_ you really want to change your last name, it would be Sigma."

"Okay. I like that."

"It might have to be Smith while we're on Earth though."

"I can live with that."

"Well, it's up to you." He leant over and kissed her. "Your choice."

"Mmmm… okay…"

"Now, I think the bride-to-be should get some sleep before her big day."

"Fine."

"See you in the morning."

-----------

As Rose went to sleep, the Doctor started to put his plan for the next day into action. He started by searching the expansive wardrobe in the TARDIS for outfits, locating a tux for himself and the perfect dress for Rose. After putting the outfits to one side, he took the TARDIS to pick up some other supplies, including some decorations and champagne.

When morning came, he took the TARDIS back to the Torchwood Hub, and was soon knocking on the door of Jack's bedroom. The captain came to the door with mussed-up hair and wearing just a plain t-shirt and boxers.

"Doctor? What the hell are you doing here?"

"I need to ask you something."

"It's 5am, Doctor. Couldn't it have waited a few hours?"

"Not really, no."

"Why? Is something wrong? Is it Rose?"

"No, she's fine, she's perfect. It's about the wedding."

"Riiiiight…."

"Okay, well, we don't really want a huge fancy wedding like the one Jackie's planning. So we're going to elope. In the TARDIS. Later today."

"What are you waiting for?"

"You."

"Huh?"

"Jack, would you be my best man?"

"_What?_"

"I'd like you to be my best man. We need someone to come with us, to be a witness. I'd like it to be you."

"Uh… how long is this going to take? Where are you going? Have you even told Jackie yet?"

"I'm going to surprise Rose with a really beautiful planet, so I can't really tell you yet because you might let something slip. It shouldn't take long, we'll drop you off back here before the honeymoon, don't worry. And no, Jackie doesn't know yet. The plan is for her to find out after the wedding, when we get back."

"Um. Okay then. Yes, I'll be your best man."

"Great. You'll need something formal to wear, a suit or something…"

"Will military uniform do?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Um, can you hurry and get dressed now, please?"

"We're going now?"

"Well, yes."

"Give me a few minutes. I'll leave a message for my team."

Jack disappeared back into his room, and soon reemerged wearing his old air force uniform. He quickly scribbled a note for the team, explaining that he'd be back later that day, then he and the Doctor took the TARDIS back to the Tylers' house, leaving in the middle of their living room. They crept upstairs quietly, and the Doctor knocked very softly on Rose's bedroom door, before pushing it open.

"Rose. Rose, wake up."

"Huh? What is it?"

"Get up, now. We have to go somewhere."

"Where?"

"It's a surprise."

"I'm not dressed…"

"I've got a dress for you, everything's organised. Come on, hurry."

Still in her pajamas, Rose left the room, seeing Jack in his uniform.

"Hey, Jack. You look good."

"Thanks. But maybe you shouldn't be saying that, present company considered."

"Oops."

The Doctor was already halfway down the stairs, when he called back to them. "Hurry _up_, you two." Rose and Jack ran down the stairs and into the TARDIS. As Rose stepped inside the ship, she gasped as she saw that it had been decorated with hanging paper lanterns and candles on most of the flat surfaces. "Wow… it's lovely."

Her gaze fell on a beautiful wedding dress that was hanging up waiting for her. "Oh my god… is that for me?" She looked around for the Doctor, but he was nowhere to be seen. She turned to Jack "Where did he go?"

"He had to get dressed, of course. And yes, the dress is for you. You remember where your room is, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, go and get changed. We'll be leaving soon."

Rose took the dress and hurried away to change. Jack was left alone in the control room. He reached into his pocket for the small jewellery box he knew was in there, opening it to reveal two matching, white gold rings. He smiled, then followed the Doctor's instructions and pressed a few buttons to send the TARDIS to the planet the Doctor had chosen.

-----------

It didn't take long for the TARDIS to arrive, and soon Jack was knocking on Rose's door to escort her down.

"Are you ready, Rose?"

"I think so. Come in."

He opened the door, to see her standing there in a stunning, but very simple, white dress, with a little train. Her hair was curled and loose, and she was wearing a simple silver necklace. "Wow."

"You like it?"

"Yeah."

"Do you think the Doctor will like it?"

"Definitely."

"Okay then. I guess you're here as my escort."

"Of course." He offered her his arm, and they walked slowly down to the control room. Jack opened the door with a flourish, revealing the Doctor standing on a lovely tropical beach, with clean white sand and clear blue sky overhead, wearing a very smart tuxedo. Rose stepped out, and smiled when she saw the beautiful spot he had found. "This is incredible."

"Only the very best for my wife."

"I'm not your wife yet, remember?"

"Ah, yes. I knew there was something we had to do."

"Okay, so how does this work?"

"Well, it's very simple. We each say a few words, promising to stay faithful, that sort of thing, and then we each receive something to show that we're together."

"I don't have anything for you…"

"I covered that too. Are you ready?"  
"Yes."

"Okay. Jack?"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"You can start."

Jack took a small card from his pocket, and started to read. "We are gathered here today to join these two people, the Doctor and Rose Tyler, in marriage. Doctor?"

"Rose Tyler, I love you. I've had a long life, and I've known so many people, but I've only ever loved one of them, and that's you, Rose. I want to always be with you. I would like you to be at my side wherever I am, as my wife. Do you agree to this?"

"I do."

Jack now turned to Rose. "And now, apparently, you should say something as well."

"Doctor, before I met you, I hadn't seen much of the world at all, and you've shown me incredible things since we met. I can't imagine being with anyone but you, and I would be honoured if you would agree to stay with me always. Do you?"

"I do."

Jack glanced at the notes he had made on Gallifreyan weddings. "And now we have the exchange of tokens of your love for each other." He pulled out the little box, holding it open so that the Doctor could pick up one of the rings and carefully slide it onto Rose's finger, before she did the same with the other ring. Finally, Jack was able to say "Uh, that's it, so… I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

The Doctor did not need to be told twice, and immediately kissed Rose. Jack turned away to give them some privacy, taking out the blank marriage certificates the Doctor had acquired. Once they were back inside the TARDIS, they filled it in together. They were slightly confused as to what they should put down for the Doctor, but they settled for "Doctor John Smith" on the Earth marriage certificate, with Rose signing as "Mrs Rose Smith", while the _other_ certificate (which was as close to a Gallifreyan certificate as the Doctor had been able to manage) soon read "The Doctor" and "Mrs Rose Sigma". Jack signed both as a witness, and then the two certificates were carefully put away in the small safe.

Next, they took the TARDIS back to Cardiff, first to drop Jack off at Torchwood – after first promising to come back for him after their honeymoon – and then went back to the Tylers' house, where Jackie was going out of her mind worrying. Rose had left her a note, saying "_Gone to get married. Back soon. Love, Rose._", but apparently it hadn't helped.

The moment the Doctor and Rose stepped out of the TARDIS, still wearing their tuxedo and dress respectively, she shrieked. "Rose Tyler, what exactly do you think you are doing?!"

"Sorry Mum, but we just didn't want a big wedding, so we went and did it ourselves. We only came here quickly to drop Jack off, pack a few things and make sure you knew. Oh, and it's not Rose Tyler any more, it's Rose Sigma." Laughing, Rose hitched up the skirt of her dress and ran upstairs to pack for the honeymoon. The Doctor was left alone with Jackie for a moment, but when he saw the look on her face he ran upstairs after his new wife, just to escape her mother.


	8. Chapter 8

**Epilogue**

_The Doctor and Rose, on their honeymoon_

Rose and the Doctor lay side by side on a blanket spread out on a meadow of soft blue-green grass that stretched on for miles, just enjoying one another's company, and talking when they felt like it, and sometimes just looking up at the wispy clouds that occasionally passed over the clear blue sky.

"Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"Is it possible for us to have a baby? Biologically, I mean. You being a Time Lord and everything."

"Honestly, I don't know."

"How come?"

"There aren't exactly very many documented cases of humans interbreeding with Time Lords. But it's definitely possible. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, I was just wondering."

"Do you want to have a baby with me?"

"I hadn't really thought about it… but yeah, I do."

"What if we can't?"  
"That would be fine too."

_Jack, at Torchwood_

Jack was working in his office one morning, when Ianto came in with the usual tray of coffee mugs and a bundle of post. The younger man left him a mug and the post, before quietly leaving. When the door was shut, Jack picked up the bundle of letters, looking at the return addresses. Most of them were nothing new or unusual, but about half-way through the bundle he found something that made him smile.

A brightly-coloured postcard, from the planet that the Doctor had taken Rose to for their honeymoon. He turned the card over, reading "_Dear Jack, We're having a lovely time out here in Delai. Hope everything's okay for you. The Doctor says to tell you that he'll come and pick you up when we come back next week, if you're still interested. Lots of love, Rose (and the Doctor) xxxxxxx._

Jack's smile soon turned to a worried frown. Rose and the Doctor obviously still wanted him to go travelling with them, but there was the team to worry about. He had a lot of thinking to do.

- six days later -

The day before the Doctor and Rose were due back, Jack had come to a decision. He was going to leave Torchwood, at least temporarily, to travel with them again. He had spoken to the team, and made Gwen the leader. Owen had grumbled, but he would get over it. He got the feeling that none of them really wanted him to leave, but none of them tried to stop him. He had told them about the Doctor, and they understood why he had to go.

All he had to do was pack the few belongings he had, and he could be free again.

**A/N:**** Okay, so that's the end of this fic. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I liked writing it. I don't know if there will be a sequel or not – if the muses are kind and lend me some inspiration, it is possible, but I don't have any sequel ideas right now. If you have a particular idea that you would like to see, put it in a review and I will consider it.**

**Please review, as usual.**

**JsyGirl.**


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